The Secret to Burning More Calories Throughout Your Day

If you’re anything like me, you’re always on the hunt for “easy” and creative ways to incorporate more calorie burn into your day. Unfortunately, we can’t workout all day long. We have jobs to fulfill and lives to live. But when you take a hard look at the calories you burn throughout your day, there are a couple of major components. Let’s walk through them!

The biggest component of your daily calories burned is your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This rate includes the total number of calories your body requires for basic body functions at rest. This includes circulation, breathing, cell production, nutrient processing, protein synthesis, and ion transport. It’s the calories you burn for basic survival. The next component is Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). Activities like chewing food, digestion, absorption, and all other processes that go into consuming and processing food within the body comprise this category. It takes energy to break down food, especially whole, non-processed foods. So there is a small portion of your daily calorie burn that goes into simply breaking down the food you ate. TEF usually accounts for 10% of your daily calorie burn. The third component is Exercise. Exercise includes regimented activities like HIIT, LISS, cycling, yoga, running, and weightlifting. Unlike what most people think, exercise only accounts for about 10% of your daily calorie burn, if you participate in it. And the final component of caloric expenditure is Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). NEAT includes small tasks or movements throughout the day that aren’t considered moderate to vigorous exercise, but contribute to your overall energy expenditure. I will give some examples later on, but it’s a large portion of your daily caloric expenditure that has huge potential in aiding your overall health.

One of the easiest ways to incorporate more calorie burn into your day is through NEAT. You can’t possibly exercise for 12 hours/day, unless you’re Dwayne the Rock Johnson. But by adding in more activity throughout your day, you will increase your overall calorie burn and increase your metabolism. And studies have shown that overweight or obese individuals who incorporate more NEAT into their day have increased long-term adherence to their weight loss programs. NEAT is not a replacement for exercise by any means, but it’s an easy way to aid your weight loss or maintenance journey.

Regular exercise has long-term cardiovascular benefits while also increasing muscle mass, improving mood, and encouraging daily movement. But exercise typically only comprises a small portion of our day. What you do with the rest of your day has huge ramifications on your overall health and wellness. So here are a few examples of NEAT that can be easy to incorporate into your day-to-day…

Do you incorporate NEAT into your day?